Cardinal Tagle urges priests, faithful to a “process of discernment”

On May 7, Cardinal Tagle released a letter addressed to all priests in the Archdiocese of Manila encouraging them to be discerning in the process of choosing and voting for candidates. To his end, he endorses a tool-process that the group People’s Choice Movement has used.

“We want to share with you the process of discernment undergone by the People’s Choice Movement, a purely lay group organized by lay Christian leaders,” Cardinal Tagle said.

“I urge you to share this initiative of the lay faithful with the lay groups, youth organizations, circles of discernment in your parish as a guide to their own discernment,” he added.

The People’s Choice Movement is an organization of lay faithful composed of 130 Christian leaders who heeded the call of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to “Seek the Common Good” during its Plenary Assembly in January 2019. The call particularly pertains to the 2019 May election.

According to Cardinal Tagle, PCM asked the faithful to consider the following criteria before voting for a candidate: character and honor; competence and abilities; faithfulness to public service; and faithfulness to God, the Constitution and the laws.

The Archbishop of Manila also asked the parishes to conduct activities that will result into a peaceful and orderly election.

“I am also encouraging you to include the integrity and peaceful conduct of the elections in the daily masses leading up to May 13. Depending on the context of your parish, please organize prayer moments like a Holy Hour, rosaries, a triduum and the like,” Cardinal Tagle said.

He also reminded the priests that after the elections, they should continue with their mission “of participating in the renewal of society based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

This year’s election, which is May 13, coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. (Jheng Prado / RCAM-AOC)